TL
NR version... quit having generic orders for troops. Different types of troops need totally different orders, if we're trying to simulate Middle Ages warfare.
Long version:
It's pretty apparent that having a one-size-fits-all approach to giving orders wasn't perfect in Warband. Something like half the playerbase doesn't even know you can give tactical commands to your troops via the F-key orders systems, and even fewer have really exploited it to the fullest.
Even worse, the Vanilla AI doesn't use it at all and just charges mindlessly.
So... some general thoughts.
1. What an "order" does, under the hood, should be exposed, extendable C# code on day one. Not hidden from modders or coders who want to report issues or suggest improvements.
This is a separate issue from "formations", which I'm sure a lot of people have asked for, but this will often means similar results. Technically, a "formation" is a sub-set of a given tactical movement or is naturally a part of a tactical movement; the idea that a "formation" is something troops do while standing still is totally incorrect, a lot of tactics involved both moving troops in specific ways relative to one another (a "formation") while moving them in a specific way in regards to the enemy. Except for really specific defensive formations, this is how it was done historically.
2. Orders should be explained to all players via a tutorial early on, not left as a power-tool for the hardcore tactical-sim players.
3. AI opponents should be designed to use tactics with a reasonable amount of intelligence. For example, an army of sword-and-board infantry with minor archer and cavalry support should be deploying its support on the wings and advancing to charge range under a shield-wall while the supporting archers halt at range. The supporting cavalry should flank the position of the enemy army and charge only once the infantry's engaged.
Now, on to some specifics.
Cavalry Orders
Cavalry should have a number of specialized commands (the following are just a few suggestions):
A. Charge and Reform: Causes cavalry to charge from their current placement position, engage briefly, then return to the placement position in good order. This is key to shock-cavalry tactics as they were practiced historically and it would stop the AI from mindlessly milling about or having to be incredibly super-powered (IRL, horses can't run over dozens of humans and not break a leg at some point).
B. Harass: This would be an explicit call to the "Archer Cavalry" built-in AI in Warband, only more like the real thing. Cavalry would keep out at max range -25% for their missile weapons and attack with them, but not charge into melee.
C. Counter-Charge: Cavalry would charge opposing cavalry, whilst maintaining formation, with the objective of stopping the enemy's cavalry and then pursuing them.
D. Pursue / Halt. Instead of cavalry on Charge orders mindlessly milling about, the AI would only complete its current orders and halt if all nearby enemies have been dispersed, or it would be told to Pursue the enemy until destroyed.
E. Fantasia: this is a form of cavalry attack used very commonly, where cavalry charge at an infantry formation to 30-50 meters, launch missiles (usually spears / cast lances in the early Middle Ages, then dragons in the late Middle Ages / early Renaissance) and then immediately turn tail and retreat. This was a very common tactic for cavalry forces used in a supporting role.
F. Shock Charge: a proper shock-cavalry charge should be in formation, or, as the English put it during the War of the Roses, "boot to boot". Not a bunch of guys arriving at random intervals. A Shock Charge would keep the formation at the speed of the slowest cavalry and all arrive at once.
Infantry Orders
1. Shield Wall / Phalanx: A maximum-defensive formation, with each member using its shield to deflect missile fire and spearmen placed in the second rank, to stop cavalry and infantry charges. Infantry in this formation should be penalized on speeds, as they need to stay next to one another and stay in tight formation.
2. Receive Cavalry: The classic tactics to receive a mounted charge, including letting the front rank kneel and push their spear butts against the earth to maximize damage to cavalry, second rank presenting their spears through the first rank, and third+ ranks leaving a little space between themselves and the front ranks, to take down any cavalry that manage to get past the front ranks.
3. Shock Charge: Much like a Shock Charge for cavalry, this is a push forward by infantry where all members are expected to stay in formation while advancing together. Casualties in the front are replaced by soldiers in the rear, who may be contributing missile fire or shield coverage (or both) to the formation. A charge of this style is a series of slow moves forward, taking the time to clear any enemy from the front of the formation before advancing. The Romans used this tactic all the time and so did practically every well-trained infantry army in the Middle Ages.
4. Sprint Charge: Tactics of the Swiss Pikeman, units of halberdiers, etc., throughout the later Middle Ages; a unit charges at the maximum-possible speed while maintaining a loose series of lines to avoid casualties from missile fire, then tightens to a solid block before impact, to hit as small an area of the enemy's front line as possible. In Warband, troops with two-handed spears, polearms, etc., etc., were kind of a bad joke vs. missile weapons that were anything like accurately balanced (i.e., no, you can't take 4 arrows on the way in, lol), largely because Charge orders bunched them up into easy targets and any other orders just dispersed them too much to be effective.
5. Boar's Head: Viking / Germanic tactic, where the troops assume a spearhead formation and attempt to engage a minimal part of the enemy line while passing through it. When it didn't bog down, it was effective at breaking unit cohesion.
6. Dispersed Charge: Infantry uses the concept of dispersion to avoid missile fire until it's within 50 meters, and then the front ranks close and slow so that the rear ranks, who are closing also, reform into a tight formation to assault the enemy line. This was a pretty common tactical approach that worked when infantry was well-trained and led.
7. Envelop: the opposite of a boar's head; the unit breaks into two smaller bodies and attacks the flanking corners of the enemy formation, often with the objective of either turning the flanks or keeping the enemy busy while another formation began its assault. Also a good way to finish off an enemy unit, preventing escape.
8. Counter-Charge: the infantry unit waits in the current formation, but charges the enemy when they're within 10 meters or so. This wasn't done often, as it's really risky to lose unit cohesion when the enemy has momentum on their side and it's hard to convince troops to leave a defensive stance in the face of a charge, but it was sometimes used successfully; the psychological impact on the unit charging of seeing their opponent also go on the offensive was sometimes enough to rout a charge.
Archer Orders
1. Receive Cavalry. Archers typically used obstacles to receive cavalry; wooden stakes to kill horses were a very popular (and successful) tactic, but sometimes they dug holes, used caltrops, etc., etc. Essentially, the idea here is that archers, who typically operated with enough dispersion to minimize casualties from counter-fire, had to use something to stop cavalry from wanting to run over them. Having to pound in stakes, etc. made them a lot less mobile than other infantry, once placed, but these tactics were quite effective against cavalry charges (unlike every video game, ever, cavalry did not magically win against archers all the time; just ask the French).
2. Disperse / Form Lines / Form Column. In Warband, the ability to use archers properly was a bit wonky; if you wanted something vaguely like the Real Thing, you'd put archers into a five-row formation and then told them to Spread Out at least once. This worked all right, but honestly, there's no good reason why you should have to give two orders when one would do. When archers are moved, we want them in columns to move rapidly, so that we can place them as soon as possible, not wait for stragglers taking the slowest route. Generally, I think that this should be a toggled state, whereupon giving movement orders automatically results in the unit reforming into a column that then takes the fastest route.
3. Fall Back. In Warband, this merely moves the unit back 10 meters or so. What it should do, with archers, is move the unit back until it's no longer in close contact with enemy forces (>50 meters from nearest enemy formation centroid). Archers shouldn't require a million micro-managed commands to merely fall back from contact with enemy infantry attempting to close with them, for example.
4. Receive Infantry: archers receiving infantry who've managed to close with them are in a real pickle; they can run and hopefully escape being slaughtered from behind, or they can receive the infantry with a close-range barrage of rapid fire and then counter-charge the enemy's front ranks (hopefully after enough of them have taken hits and are distracted). While is isn't always the best solution, sometimes it worked quite spectacularly in historical battles, where infantry, with their superior armor and shields, expected archers to flee but were instead put to rout. Technically, this means the archers reform into a three-or-more deep line, with front ranks kneeling, and wait until the enemy's close (75-50 meters) before firing, followed by rapid fire until the enemy's within 10 meters or so, followed by meeting the charge by counter-charging it.
5. Disperse to Lanes: an effective anti-cavalry tactic, archers would step 5-10 meters to their right / left as cavalry began a charge, forming lines with large empty lanes between them. While this formation was useless against infantry charges, it was effective against cavalry, as the horses would tend to pick the empty lanes rather than charge a line and the archers could get off shots at passing horsemen. Combined with obstacles, this sometimes caused a lot of casualties. However, it was risky, because a few horsemen could potentially run down the lines, which were too dispersed to support each other as infantry.
Anyhow, the above are some ideas. There were a lot of different approaches to tactical problems in the Middle Ages, some of which I haven't covered here, but generally speaking, what I want to see is a more-nuanced and realistic set of tools, so that commanders get some of the real-world techniques that worked, rather than something that barely feels like a combat simulation.
I know that a lot of work on Bannerlord has apparently been spent on making towns and villages more interesting and adding RPG details, but at its heart, it's supposed to be good combat game, and I'd really appreciate more of a nod to realism.
NR version... quit having generic orders for troops. Different types of troops need totally different orders, if we're trying to simulate Middle Ages warfare.Long version:
It's pretty apparent that having a one-size-fits-all approach to giving orders wasn't perfect in Warband. Something like half the playerbase doesn't even know you can give tactical commands to your troops via the F-key orders systems, and even fewer have really exploited it to the fullest.
Even worse, the Vanilla AI doesn't use it at all and just charges mindlessly.
So... some general thoughts.
1. What an "order" does, under the hood, should be exposed, extendable C# code on day one. Not hidden from modders or coders who want to report issues or suggest improvements.
This is a separate issue from "formations", which I'm sure a lot of people have asked for, but this will often means similar results. Technically, a "formation" is a sub-set of a given tactical movement or is naturally a part of a tactical movement; the idea that a "formation" is something troops do while standing still is totally incorrect, a lot of tactics involved both moving troops in specific ways relative to one another (a "formation") while moving them in a specific way in regards to the enemy. Except for really specific defensive formations, this is how it was done historically.
2. Orders should be explained to all players via a tutorial early on, not left as a power-tool for the hardcore tactical-sim players.
3. AI opponents should be designed to use tactics with a reasonable amount of intelligence. For example, an army of sword-and-board infantry with minor archer and cavalry support should be deploying its support on the wings and advancing to charge range under a shield-wall while the supporting archers halt at range. The supporting cavalry should flank the position of the enemy army and charge only once the infantry's engaged.
Now, on to some specifics.
Cavalry Orders
Cavalry should have a number of specialized commands (the following are just a few suggestions):
A. Charge and Reform: Causes cavalry to charge from their current placement position, engage briefly, then return to the placement position in good order. This is key to shock-cavalry tactics as they were practiced historically and it would stop the AI from mindlessly milling about or having to be incredibly super-powered (IRL, horses can't run over dozens of humans and not break a leg at some point).
B. Harass: This would be an explicit call to the "Archer Cavalry" built-in AI in Warband, only more like the real thing. Cavalry would keep out at max range -25% for their missile weapons and attack with them, but not charge into melee.
C. Counter-Charge: Cavalry would charge opposing cavalry, whilst maintaining formation, with the objective of stopping the enemy's cavalry and then pursuing them.
D. Pursue / Halt. Instead of cavalry on Charge orders mindlessly milling about, the AI would only complete its current orders and halt if all nearby enemies have been dispersed, or it would be told to Pursue the enemy until destroyed.
E. Fantasia: this is a form of cavalry attack used very commonly, where cavalry charge at an infantry formation to 30-50 meters, launch missiles (usually spears / cast lances in the early Middle Ages, then dragons in the late Middle Ages / early Renaissance) and then immediately turn tail and retreat. This was a very common tactic for cavalry forces used in a supporting role.
F. Shock Charge: a proper shock-cavalry charge should be in formation, or, as the English put it during the War of the Roses, "boot to boot". Not a bunch of guys arriving at random intervals. A Shock Charge would keep the formation at the speed of the slowest cavalry and all arrive at once.
Infantry Orders
1. Shield Wall / Phalanx: A maximum-defensive formation, with each member using its shield to deflect missile fire and spearmen placed in the second rank, to stop cavalry and infantry charges. Infantry in this formation should be penalized on speeds, as they need to stay next to one another and stay in tight formation.
2. Receive Cavalry: The classic tactics to receive a mounted charge, including letting the front rank kneel and push their spear butts against the earth to maximize damage to cavalry, second rank presenting their spears through the first rank, and third+ ranks leaving a little space between themselves and the front ranks, to take down any cavalry that manage to get past the front ranks.
3. Shock Charge: Much like a Shock Charge for cavalry, this is a push forward by infantry where all members are expected to stay in formation while advancing together. Casualties in the front are replaced by soldiers in the rear, who may be contributing missile fire or shield coverage (or both) to the formation. A charge of this style is a series of slow moves forward, taking the time to clear any enemy from the front of the formation before advancing. The Romans used this tactic all the time and so did practically every well-trained infantry army in the Middle Ages.
4. Sprint Charge: Tactics of the Swiss Pikeman, units of halberdiers, etc., throughout the later Middle Ages; a unit charges at the maximum-possible speed while maintaining a loose series of lines to avoid casualties from missile fire, then tightens to a solid block before impact, to hit as small an area of the enemy's front line as possible. In Warband, troops with two-handed spears, polearms, etc., etc., were kind of a bad joke vs. missile weapons that were anything like accurately balanced (i.e., no, you can't take 4 arrows on the way in, lol), largely because Charge orders bunched them up into easy targets and any other orders just dispersed them too much to be effective.
5. Boar's Head: Viking / Germanic tactic, where the troops assume a spearhead formation and attempt to engage a minimal part of the enemy line while passing through it. When it didn't bog down, it was effective at breaking unit cohesion.
6. Dispersed Charge: Infantry uses the concept of dispersion to avoid missile fire until it's within 50 meters, and then the front ranks close and slow so that the rear ranks, who are closing also, reform into a tight formation to assault the enemy line. This was a pretty common tactical approach that worked when infantry was well-trained and led.
7. Envelop: the opposite of a boar's head; the unit breaks into two smaller bodies and attacks the flanking corners of the enemy formation, often with the objective of either turning the flanks or keeping the enemy busy while another formation began its assault. Also a good way to finish off an enemy unit, preventing escape.
8. Counter-Charge: the infantry unit waits in the current formation, but charges the enemy when they're within 10 meters or so. This wasn't done often, as it's really risky to lose unit cohesion when the enemy has momentum on their side and it's hard to convince troops to leave a defensive stance in the face of a charge, but it was sometimes used successfully; the psychological impact on the unit charging of seeing their opponent also go on the offensive was sometimes enough to rout a charge.
Archer Orders
1. Receive Cavalry. Archers typically used obstacles to receive cavalry; wooden stakes to kill horses were a very popular (and successful) tactic, but sometimes they dug holes, used caltrops, etc., etc. Essentially, the idea here is that archers, who typically operated with enough dispersion to minimize casualties from counter-fire, had to use something to stop cavalry from wanting to run over them. Having to pound in stakes, etc. made them a lot less mobile than other infantry, once placed, but these tactics were quite effective against cavalry charges (unlike every video game, ever, cavalry did not magically win against archers all the time; just ask the French).
2. Disperse / Form Lines / Form Column. In Warband, the ability to use archers properly was a bit wonky; if you wanted something vaguely like the Real Thing, you'd put archers into a five-row formation and then told them to Spread Out at least once. This worked all right, but honestly, there's no good reason why you should have to give two orders when one would do. When archers are moved, we want them in columns to move rapidly, so that we can place them as soon as possible, not wait for stragglers taking the slowest route. Generally, I think that this should be a toggled state, whereupon giving movement orders automatically results in the unit reforming into a column that then takes the fastest route.
3. Fall Back. In Warband, this merely moves the unit back 10 meters or so. What it should do, with archers, is move the unit back until it's no longer in close contact with enemy forces (>50 meters from nearest enemy formation centroid). Archers shouldn't require a million micro-managed commands to merely fall back from contact with enemy infantry attempting to close with them, for example.
4. Receive Infantry: archers receiving infantry who've managed to close with them are in a real pickle; they can run and hopefully escape being slaughtered from behind, or they can receive the infantry with a close-range barrage of rapid fire and then counter-charge the enemy's front ranks (hopefully after enough of them have taken hits and are distracted). While is isn't always the best solution, sometimes it worked quite spectacularly in historical battles, where infantry, with their superior armor and shields, expected archers to flee but were instead put to rout. Technically, this means the archers reform into a three-or-more deep line, with front ranks kneeling, and wait until the enemy's close (75-50 meters) before firing, followed by rapid fire until the enemy's within 10 meters or so, followed by meeting the charge by counter-charging it.
5. Disperse to Lanes: an effective anti-cavalry tactic, archers would step 5-10 meters to their right / left as cavalry began a charge, forming lines with large empty lanes between them. While this formation was useless against infantry charges, it was effective against cavalry, as the horses would tend to pick the empty lanes rather than charge a line and the archers could get off shots at passing horsemen. Combined with obstacles, this sometimes caused a lot of casualties. However, it was risky, because a few horsemen could potentially run down the lines, which were too dispersed to support each other as infantry.
Anyhow, the above are some ideas. There were a lot of different approaches to tactical problems in the Middle Ages, some of which I haven't covered here, but generally speaking, what I want to see is a more-nuanced and realistic set of tools, so that commanders get some of the real-world techniques that worked, rather than something that barely feels like a combat simulation.
I know that a lot of work on Bannerlord has apparently been spent on making towns and villages more interesting and adding RPG details, but at its heart, it's supposed to be good combat game, and I'd really appreciate more of a nod to realism.
Hopefully coders are working on those very scenes and related actions which are now delaying the release of the game.
